This relates in general to animal traps, and more particularly to modular traps, which include a mechanism triggered by an entering animal to form an air-tight tamper-proof enclosure.
My U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,609, issued June 29, 1976, discloses and claims a trap comprising a plurality of modular units assembled in a tamper-proof array to form a feeding station through which rodents may pass to consume poisonous bait. My U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,653, issued June 28, 1977, discloses a rodent baiting arrangement in which modular plastic units are assembled to form an entrance and feeding station, in which a curved gate member mounted in lateral grooves is disposed to rock forward when an entering animal steps on the gate, and to rock backward, closing the gate, when the animal moves further into the module.
In the case of these and other prior-art traps, it may be possible for the animal to escape from the module by clawing open the door or gate. Furthermore, problems may arise in removing the animal from the trap in a manner to minimize contact with the animal or with poisonous bait, or in resetting the trap for repeated operations.